


Her Sword

by A_Guy_Called_2623



Category: RWBY
Genre: Emotional reunion, F/F, First Person Ruby Rose, Hurt No Comfort, Implied Nuts and Dolts, Ruby get a therapist challenge 2020, Volume 3 (RWBY), Volume 5 (RWBY), Volume 7 (RWBY), Volume 8 Teaser Trailer, no beta we die like Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:08:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26883406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Guy_Called_2623/pseuds/A_Guy_Called_2623
Relationships: Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	Her Sword

The scream of a Nevermore and the failing whine of hard light shields brought me back to the world. I looked up, only to see the barriers fail completely.

Pyrrha remained there in the middle of the colosseum, just standing in pure, insurmountable grief. The kind I felt as- I could bear to even think of her name. What those people _did_ to her.

A more spiteful, hurt part of me tried to get me to run away, leave Pyrrha to face some sort of cruel justice. But she wasn't to blame, I thought as the Nevermore dropped to the floor. It's getting ready to charge, I realize. As if by instinct, I become a wave of petals, and rush towards the beast. My hand reforms for a split second, as it grips something cold and metal.

I reassemble, weighted hand thrust forward. Like a bullet, I fly true, striking the monster in its black chest. I blink and see what is holding me in place.

It's her sword.

With a growl, I stab it even further into the monster as my vision clouds for a brief moment. It shakes me off, and I land beside Pyrrha. She's terrified, and my anger at the world only grows as she says my name.

" **LEAVE HER ALONE!** " I screamed at the beast, holding her sword even tighter. The Nevermore launched into the air with a screech of its own. I level her sword into a blocking stance, keeping my back to her. It's the only way I can dare to stay in the fight.

The fight would never come, though. A swarm of lockers drop onto the beast, felling it just short of Pyrrha and I.

I look around in momentary surprise, but my eyes lock with hers for a moment. Pupils wide, eyes unblinking. Dead. Because I wasn't fast enough. I turn away grimacing, as the monster begins to rise once more. I draw her sword, facing it down fiercely, but the other present hunters dispatch of the beast before I can even blink.

"Ruby, I-" Pyrrha weeps. I turn to her, the warrior holding a piece of her shredded clothing, tears welling in those emerald eyes. "I'm so sorry..."

A more heartbroken side of me wants to scream at her, say she doesn't have the right to feel sorry, because she doesn't know what she'd done. But, I push it back with a sigh. "Me too... But it wasn't your fault."

I look to the other huntresses and huntsmen, a vengeful gleam in my eyes. More Grimm arrive, Griffons now. I dart towards my locker, stabbing any beast that dares to dive near. I snarl any Griffons away, the fires of veritable hell in my eyes as I make a silent promise to the unblinking eyes on the other side of the arena.

"I wasn't fast enough to save you, Penny. But I will not let anyone else die tonight."

\----------------------------

It's been a year since Beacon fell, and I lost her. But even now, it still feels like yesterday. As if to rub salt in the wound, he just had to be here too. The face of Mercury Black, the boy who kept me from her, as cocky as ever.

My blood boiled as I swung at him with my Crescent Rose, her point freshly sharpened that morning. He had the nerve to dodge each of my strikes, chuckling the whole time. He raised his leg and shot my scythe from my hands.

"Uh oh," he gleefully sneered. "What are you gonna do now?" He lunged at me, and I dove to the side, drawing her sword.

I leveled it at his chest, and that cocky smirk fell away. "Whatever it takes to make you shut up," I snarled, before taking a swing. He was quickly on the retreat, the green of her sword blending into the red of my cape.

"YOU TOOK HER FROM ME!" I screamed, eyes filling with rage. He tripped over Crescent Rose, I spun and kicked him to the ground, my vision beginning to blur again. Her sword hovered inches above his once cocky grin, now filled with abject horror.

For a brief moment, revenge flashed through my head. I can't bring her back, but maybe I can make the pain go away. But as I look into his terrified grey eyes, my thoughts fall away like a cloud of dust. I hang her sword on my back and picked up my Crescent. He stood back up, fists at the ready, moments ago forgotten.

I charged.

\-----------------------------

A Sabyr leaped towards an unaware Blake. I tried to call out her name, but a beam of green energy tore through the beast before anyone could blink.

The horde was picked off one by one by the green beam, and the street sirens slowly turned off. A pair of booster rockets fired off, and we all looked to the moon. Silhouetting against it- No... No it couldn't-

She came to a graceful landing, and through my own panicked gasps-

"Penny..."

"Darlin'," Pietro calmly cut in, drawing her attention. "Why don't you come say hello to your friends?"

She turned towards us all, her emerald eyes shooting wide open as they locked with my own. I could only gasp and gape, hardly a thought coming to my mind.

"Sal..." she began.

What? What does tha-

"U...!" She got into a runner's start.

... Oh no...

"TATTIONS!!" She cried out joyously.

I waved my arms frantically with a scream, a desperate bid to get her to slow down, but it was too late the second I began. If not for my aura, my story would have ended right there. Split in half on a Mantlean street. But at that moment, I simply didn't have the time to care.

We tumbled to the ground, as she embraced me tightly. Like nothing bad had ever happened. I could only find myself tearfully returning it.

But then, a strange sensation jerked me back to the world. I opened my eyes and saw her right in my face. Her own eyes closed, and her lips pressed hard onto mine. With a wailing mind, I returned it.

For only a second, the world was perfect again. But that endless second was something I would never trade, not even for a million more.

\-----------------------------

And as I embrace her once more, as the world goes so wrong around us, she trusts me with her back.

**And I will not fail her this time.**


End file.
